List of wars involving Great Britain

This article lists the wars and armed conflicts fought by the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1707–1801, those fought by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801–1922 and those by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1922.

Contents

For wars fought before 1707, see:

For wars fought before 1801, see:

The Kingdom of Great Britain

Start Finish Name of Conflict Belligerents (excluding Britain) Outcome
Allies Enemies
1701 1714 The War of the Spanish Succession

including

Austria

 Dutch Republic
 Savoy
 Prussia
Portugal

 France

 Spain
Bavaria
Hungarians

Treaty of Utrecht:
  • Territory in Canada and the West Indies ceded from France
  • Territory in Europe ceded from Spain
1715 1715 Civil War:

Jacobite rising of 1715
including

Government forces Jacobites

 France

Jacobite restoration attempt defeated
1717 1720 The War of the Quadruple Alliance

including

 Holy Roman Empire

 France
 Dutch Republic
 Savoy

 Spain

Jacobites (against the British Crown and Government only)

Treaty of The Hague
1721 1725 Dummer's War  France Capture of Norridgewock
1740 1748 The War of the Austrian Succession

including

Austria

Hanover
 Dutch Republic
 Saxony
 Sardinia
 Russia
East India Company

 France

 Prussia
Spain

Bavaria
 Saxony
Naples and Sicily
 Genoa
Sweden
French East India Company

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle:
1745 1746 Civil War:

Jacobite rising of 1745

Government forces
Jacobitism

 France

Jacobite restoration attempt defeated
1749 1754 The Second Carnatic War East India Company

Forces of Nasir Jang Mir Ahmad
Forces of Mohamed Ali Khan Walajan

French East India Company
Forces of Chanda Shahib

Forces of Muhyi ad-Din Muzaffar Jang Hidayat

Treaty of Pondicherry:
1754 1763 Seven Years' War  Prussia

Hanover
Iroquois
 Portugal and her colonies
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Hesse-Kassel

 France

 Holy Roman Empire
 Russian Empire
 Sweden
Spain

 Saxony
 Sardinia

Treaty of Paris:
  • Extensive lands in North America ceded from France
  • Caribbean colonies ceded from France
  • Senagal River colony (excluding Gorée) ceded from France
  • Florida ceded from Spain
1757 1763 The Third Carnatic War East India Company  France

French East India Company

Treaty of Paris:
  • French trading posts in India administered by British
  • Sumatra ceded from France
1758 1761 Anglo-Cherokee War Cherokee Pro-British Attakullakulla becomes Cherokee leader
1763 1766 Pontiac's Rebellion Confederation of First Nation Tribes Stalemate:
  • British policy change
  • British suzerainty over First Nation Tribes
  • Niagara Falls area ceded from Seneca Nation
1766 1769 First Anglo-Mysore War East India Company

 Maratha Empire
Hyderabad State

Kingdom of Mysore British defeat, Hyderabad cedes territory to Mysore
1774 1783 First Anglo-Maratha War East India Company  Maratha Empire Treaty of Salbai:
  • Salsette Island ceded from Maratha Empire
  • Territory west of Jumna River ceded to Maratha Empire
  • Maratha support for Britain against Mysore
1775 1783 Civil War:[1][2]

American Revolutionary War
American War of Independence
including:

Iroquois

Cherokee
Hanover

 United States
 France

Spain
 Dutch Republic
Oneida tribe
Tuscarora tribe
Watauga Association
Catawba tribe

Treaty of Paris:
  • 13 British colonies granted independence as United States
  • Territory in North America ceded to new United States
  • Senegal River colony returned to France
  • French recognises British suzerainty over the Gambia river
  • Territory in India returned to France
  • Minorca ceded to Spain
  • East & West Florida ceded to Spain
    • All British settlers to be expelled from Florida
  • De-militarisation of British Honduras
  • Territory in India ceded by the Dutch
1780 1784 2nd Anglo-Mysore War East India Company

 Maratha Empire
Hyderabad State

Kingdom of Mysore Treaty of Mangalore:
1782 1792 3rd Anglo-Mysore War East India Company

 Maratha Empire
Hyderabad State
Travancore

Kingdom of Mysore

 France

Treaty of Seringapatnam:
  • Half of Mysore territory ceded to East India Company
1793 1797 The War of the First Coalition Austria

 Prussia
French Royalists
Spain
Kingdom of Portugal
 Kingdom of Sardinia
Naples and Sicily
Italian states
 Ottoman Empire
 Dutch Republic

French Republic

French satellite states
Polish Legions

Treaty of Campo Formio
1793 1796 War in the Vendée French Royalists French Republic British-backed rebellion defeated
1798 1798 Irish Rebellion of 1798 Hesse-Homburg United Irishmen

Defenders
French Republic

Rebellion defeated

1801 Act of Union

1798 1799 4th Anglo-Mysore War East India Company

 Maratha Empire
Hyderabad State|

Kingdom of Mysore

French Republic

Complete annexation of Mysore by Britain and allies
1799 1802 War of the Second Coalition Austria

 Russia
French Royalists
Portugal
 Two Sicilies
 Ottoman Empire

French Republic

 Spain
Polish Legions
French client republics:

Treaty of Amiens:
  • Britain recognises the French Republic
  • Cape Colony returned to the French client Batavian Republic
  • British withdrawal from Egypt
  • French withdrawal from the Papal States
  • Trinidad and Tobago ceded from France
  • Ceylon ceded from the Batavian Republic

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Start Finish Name of conflict Belligerents (excluding Britain) Outcome
Allies Enemies
1801 1807 Temne War Susu tribes Kingdom of Koya Northern shore of Sierra Leone ceded by Koya
1802 1805 Second Anglo-Maratha War East India Company  Maratha Empire Extensive territory in India ceded by the Maratha Empire
1803 1805 First Kandyan War Kandy Territory captured from Kandy
1803 1803 Civil War: Loyalists Forces of Robert Emmet Rebellion defeated
1803 1805 War of the Third Coalition  Austrian Empire

 Russian Empire
Naples and Sicily
Portugal
 Sweden

French Empire

Batavia
Italy
Etruria
 Spain
Bavaria
Württemberg

Fourth Peace of Preßburg:
1807 1809 Anglo-Turkish War  Ottoman Empire Treaty of the Dardanelles:
  • Commercial and legal concessions to British interests within the Ottoman Empire
  • Promise to protect the empire against French encrochment
1806 1807 War of the Fourth Coalition  Prussia

 Russia
 Saxony
 Sweden
Sicily

French Empire

Confederation of the Rhine

Polish Legions
Italy
Naples
Etruria
Holland
Swiss Confederation
 Spain

Treaties of Tilsit:
  • Half of Prussia ceded to French allies
  • Russia exits the war
  • Anglo-Russian War begins
1806 1807 British invasions of the Río de la Plata  Spain Invasion defeated
1806 1807 Ashanti-Fante War  Ashanti Empire Fante Confederacy

Dutch Empire

1807 1814 Gunboat War Denmark-Norway Treaty of Kiel:
  • Denmark and Norway split up
  • Heligoland ceded from Denmark
1807 1812 Anglo-Russian War  Russian Empire Treaty of Örebro:
  • Anglo-Russian-Swedish pact against France
1807 1814 Peninsular War  Spain

Portugal

French Empire Treaty of Paris:
  • Bourbon dynasty restored
  • Tobago, St. Lucia, Mautitius ceded from France
  • All other French possessions restored as per 1792 borders
  • Abolition of French Slave Trade
  • Swiss independence
1809 1809 War of the Fifth Coalition  Austrian Empire

Tyrol
Hungary
Black Brunswickers
Sicily
 Sardinia

French Empire
Warsaw

Confederation of the Rhine

Kingdom of Italy
Naples
Swiss Confederation
Holland

Treaty of Schönbrunn:
  • Complete Austrian surrender
  • Peninsular War continued
1810 1817 Merina Conquest of Madagascar Merina Kingdom French Empire Merina control of Madagascar

Merina pro-British policies

1811 1812 4th Xhosa War Xhosa tribes Xhosa tribes pushed beyond the Fish River, reversing their gains in the previous Xhosa wars
1811 1811 Ga-Fante War  Ashanti Empire

Ga tribes
Dutch Empire

Fante Confederacy

Akwapim tribes
Akim tribes

Tantamkweri ceded to Akwapim tribes
1812 1815 War of 1812 British North America  United States Invasion of Canada defeated

Canada lost Carelton Island
Invasion of U.S. failed
Treaty of Ghent:

1815 1815 Second Kandyan War Kandy Kandyan Convention:
  • Dissolution of the Kandy royal line
  • British King declared King of Kandy
1815 1815 Hundred Days

War of the Seventh Coalition

 Prussia

France
Hanover
German Confederation
 Austria
 Russia
 Sweden
 Netherlands
 Spain
 Portugal
 Sardinia
 Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Tuscany

French Empire

Naples

Treaty of Paris:
  • Restoration of the House of Bourbon
  • Abolition of the slave trade (all signatories)
  • ₣100,000,000 compensation from France
1817 1818 Third Anglo-Maratha War East India Company  Maratha Empire Virtually all territory south of the Sutlej River controlled by Britain
1818 1819 5th Xhosa War Khoikhoi Forces Forces of Xhosa Chief Maqana Nxele Xhosa pushed beyond Keiskama River
1820 1830 Greek War of Independence Greek revolutionaries

Ionian Islands

 Ottoman Empire

Egypt

Establishment of the Kingdom of Greece
1823 1831 First Ashanti War  Ashanti Empire British retreat to Sierra Leone
1824 1826 First Anglo-Burmese War East India Company

Native tribes

Kingdom of Burma Treaty of Yandabo:
  • Assam, Manipur, Rakhine, and Taninthayi coast south of Salween river ceded from Burmah
  • £1,000,000 compensation from Burma
1828 1834 Portuguese Civil War Liberal Forces of King Pedro IV

Spain

Absolutist Forces of King Miguel Concession of Évora Monte:
  • Defeat and exile of King Miguel
1833 1840 First Carlist War Forces of Queen Isabella II

French Kingdom
Forces of King Pedro IV

Carlists: British mediated Convention of Vergara
1834 1836 The 6th Xhosa War Free Khoikhoi Xhosa tribes Extensive territorial gains from Xhosa
1837 1838 Rebellions of 1837 British North America Patriote movement

American Volunteers
Hunters' Lodges
Republic of Canada

Rebellion defeated

Report on the Affairs of British North America:

  • Pro-French policy in Québec ended
  • Lower and Upper Canada merged into single province
1839 1842 First Anglo-Afghan War East India Company Emirate of Afghanistan British retreat from Afghanistan
1839 1842 First Opium War  Manchu-China Treaty of Nanking:
  • Five Chinese ports open to foreign trade
  • $21,000,000 compensation from the Qing Empire
  • Hong Kong Island ceded from the Qing Empire
1839 1851 Uruguayan Civil War Colorados

Argentine Unitarians
French Kingdom
Riograndense Republic
 Brazil
Italian Legion

Blancos

 Argentine Confederation

British and French withdrawal before war's conclusion

Eventual Colorados victory

1845 1846 First Anglo-Sikh War East India Company Sikh Empire Treaty of Lahore:
  • Extensive territory ceded from the Sikh Empire
  • Partial control over Sikh foreign affairs
1845 1846 Flagstaff War Forces of Tāmati Wāka Nene Ngāpuhi Iwi Stalemate
1846 1846 Hutt Valley Campaign Te Āti Awa Iwi Ngāti Toa Iwi Ngāti Toa Iwi retreat
1846 1847 The 7th Xhosa War

The War of the Axe

Xhosa tribes Territory ceded from Xhosa
1847 1847 Wanganui Campaign Māori Kupapa Māori Iwis Stalemate

12 year peace and trade

1848 1849 Second Anglo-Sikh War East India Company Sikh Empire Complete annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company
1851 1853 The 8th Xhosa War

Mlanjeni's War

Xhosa tribes

Khoikhoi tribes
Native Kafir Police

Xhosa-Khoi attacks defeated

Status quo ante bellum

1852 1853 Second Anglo-Burmese War Kingdom of Burma Burmese revolution ended fighting

Lower Burma annexed

1853 1856 Crimean War French Empire

 Ottoman Empire
 Kingdom of Sardinia

 Russian Empire

Bulgarian Legion

Treaty of Paris
1856 1857 The National War in Nicaragua  Costa Rica

 Honduras
Rebel Forces of Patricio Rivas
The Mosquito Coast

Sonora

 Nicaragua

American-Nicaraguan government defeated

Slavery outlawed

1856 1860 Second Opium War

Arrow War

French Empire

 United States

 Manchu-China The Treaty of Tientsin:
  • Kowloon ceded from the Qing Empire
  • Peking opened to foreign trade
  • 11 more Chinese ports opened to foreign trade
  • Yangtze River opened to foreign warships
  • 4,000,000 taels of silver compensation
  • China banned from referring to subjects of the crown as barbarians
1856 1857 Anglo-Persian War Afghanistan

East India Company

Persia

Herat

Persian withdrawal from Herat
1857 1858 Indian Mutiny East India Company
Nepal

Jammu and Kashmir
Princely states:

Sepoys of the East India Company

 Mughal Empire

Awadh

Jhansi
7 Princely states

Act for the Better Government of India:
1860 1861 First Taranaki War

Second Māori War

Māori Iwis

Māori King Movement

Stalemate
1863 1864 Second Ashanti War  Ashanti Empire Stalemate
1863 1866 Invasion of Waikato

Third Māori War

Māori Kupapa Māori King Movement Māori King Movement defeated, confined to King Country
1864 1865 Bhutan War  Indian Empire Bhutan Treaty of Sinchula:
  • Bhutan cedes Assam Duars and Bengal Duars to India
  • Bhutan cedes territory in Dewangiri to India
1867 1874 Klang War

Selangor Civil War

Forces of Raja Abdullah of Klang

British Straits Settlements

Forces of Raja Mahadi
1868 1869 Titokowaru's War

Part of the New Zealand land wars

Māori Kupapa Ngāti Ruanui Iwi Ngāti Ruanui Iwi withdrawal
1868 1868 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia  Indian Empire  Abyssinia British hostages freed

War of the Abyssinian Succession begins

1868 1872 Te Kooti's War

Part of the New Zealand land wars

Māori Kupapa Māori Iwis End of New Zealand land wars

Territory ceded by Māori Iwis

1869 1869 Red River Rebellion  Dominion of Canada

Métis Loyalists

Métis Forces of Louis Riel Defeat of rebellion

Manitoba Act:

1873 1874 Third Ashanti War  Ashanti Empire Treaty of Fomena:
  • 50,000 oz of gold compensation from Ashanti Empire
  • Ashanti withdrawal from coastal areas
  • Ashanti banned from practicing human sacrifice
1877 1878 The 9th Xhosa War Mfengu Tribe Xhosa Gcaleka Tribe All Xhosa territory annexed to the Cape Colony
1878 1880 Second Anglo-Afghan War  Indian Empire Afghanistan British control over Afghan foreign affairs
1879 1879 Anglo-Zulu War Natal Zulu Kingdom Zululand annexed to Natal
1880 1881 First Boer War  South African Republic Pretoria Convention:
  • South African Republic granted self-government
1884 1889 Mahdist War  Egypt

 Italy
 Belgium

Mahdist Sudan Sudan ruled by Britain and Egypt
1885 1885 Third Anglo-Burmese War Kingdom of Burma Upper Burma annexed to British Raj
1888 1888 Sikkim Expedition  British Raj Tibet Tibet recognizes British suzerainty over Sikkim
1896 1896 Anglo-Zanzibar War Zanzibar Pro-British Sultan installed
1899 1901 Boxer Rebellion  Japan

 Russia
France
 United States
 Germany
 Italy
 Austria-Hungary

Righteous Harmony Society

 Manchu-China

Boxer Protocol:
  • Anti-foreign societies banned in China
1899 1902 Second Boer War  Orange Free State

 South African Republic
Foreign volunteers

Treaty of Vereeniging:
  • All Boers to surrender arms and swear allegiance to the Crown
  • Dutch language permitted in education
  • Promise to grant Boer republics self-government
  • £3,000,000 compensation "reconstruction aid" to Afrikaners
1901 1902 Anglo-Aro War Aro Confederacy Aro Confederacy destroyed
1903 1904 British expedition to Tibet  Indian Empire  Tibet Status quo ante bellum
1914 1918 World War I  Indian Empire

 Dominion of Canada
 Australia
 New Zealand
 South Africa
 Newfoundland
 Belgium
 France
 Russia
 Italy
 Japan
United States
 Serbia
Other Allies

 Austria-Hungary

 Germany

 Ottoman Empire
 Bulgaria

Treaty of Versailles:
  • German demobalization

Russia pulls out in 1917

  • Russian Civil War
    • Creation of the Soviet Union
      • Josef V. Stalin Rises to power

Creation of League of Nations:

1918 1920 Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War Many Western countries (the Allies) including:

British Empire
France
 United States
and
 Japan

 Soviet Russia

 Far Eastern Republic

Allied withdrawal from Russia

Bolshevik victory over White Army

  • Soviet Union new Russian Power
  • Josef Stalin Rise to power
1919 1923 Turkish War of Independence  Greece

France
 Italy
Armenia
 Ottoman Empire

Turkish Nationalists Treaty of Lausanne:
  • British withdrawal
  • End of the Ottoman Empire
1919 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan War  Indian Empire  Afghanistan Full Afghan independence
1919 1921 Civil War:

Irish War of Independence

Loyalists Irish Republic Anglo-Irish Treaty:
1920 1920 1920 conflict between British forces and the Dervish State  British Somaliland

British East Africa

Dervish State Demise of the Dervish State

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Start Finish Name of Conflict Belligerents (excluding Britain) Outcome
Allies Enemies
1936 1939 Great Arab Revolt in Palestine Jewish Settlement Police
Jewish Supernumerary Police
Haganah
Special Night Squads
FOSH
Peulot Meyuhadot
Irgun
Peace Bands
Palestinian Arabs Revolt suppressed
1938 1948 British–Zionist conflict Haganah
Palmach
Irgun
Lehi
British withdrawal and creation of Israel
1939 1945 World War II The Allies

Poland
 New Zealand
 Canada
 Indian Empire
 Australia
 Czechoslovakia
France
 Belgium
 Netherlands
 Luxembourg
 South Africa
 Nepal
 Norway
 Greece
 Yugoslavia
 Soviet Union
 United States
 China
 Brazil

Axis Powers

 Third Reich
 Italy
 Hungary
 Japan
 Bulgaria
 Romania
 Manchukuo
 Mengjiang
 Finland
 Thailand

Total defeat for Axis Powers
1945 1949 Indonesian National Revolution  Netherlands

 Japan (Until 1945)

 Indonesia
Netherlands recognises Indonesian Independence
1945 1946 Operation Masterdom British Raj

France
Japan

Viet Minh
First Indochina War begins
1948 1960 Malayan Emergency  Malaya

 Australia
 New Zealand
 Southern Rhodesia
 Fiji
 Kenya

Malayan Communist Party
Malayan Races Liberation Army
Communist retreat from Malaya

Malayan independence

1950 1953 Korean War  South Korea

 United Nations

 North Korea

 People's Republic of China
 Soviet Union

Stalemate

Communist invasion of South Korea defeated

1952 1960 Mau Mau Uprising  British East Africa Mau Mau Defeat of Mau Mau

Kenyan independence

1956 1957 Suez Crisis France

 Israel

 Egypt Israeli occupation of Sinai
1962 1966 Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation  Malaysia

 Australia
 New Zealand

 Indonesia Indonesia recognises Malaysian rule over former North Borneo
1962 1975 Dhofar Rebellion  Oman

Iran
 Jordan

Various insurgents Insurgency defeated
Modernisation of Oman
1968 1998 Civil War:

The Troubles

Republican paramilitaries

Unionist paramilitaries

Belfast Agreement:
  • Republic of Ireland drops claim to Northern Ireland

St Andrews Agreement:

  • Devolution in Northern Ireland
1982 1982 Falklands War  Argentina The Falklands are retaken from Argentina
1991 1991 Gulf War  Kuwait

 United States
 Saudi Arabia
 France
 Egypt
 Syria
Other Allies

Iraq Kuwait regains its independence
1992 1996 Bosnian War  NATO  Yugoslavia Dayton Accords
1998 1998 Operation Desert Fox  United States  Iraq Ceasefire; objectives largely achieved
1998 1999 Kosovo War  United States

 France
 Canada
 Denmark
 Germany
 Italy

Kosovo Liberation Army
 Yugoslavia Kosovo occupied by Nato forces

Kosovo administered by UNMIK

2000 2002 Sierra Leone Civil War  Sierra Leone Rebels

 Liberia

Rebels defeated
2001 Ongoing War in Afghanistan
Fourth Anglo-Afghan War
 Afghanistan

 United States
 Canada
Germany
Italy
France
Poland
Romania
Turkey
Australia
Spain

ISAF
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Fall of Taliban régime

Osama bin Laden killed
Ongoing Taliban insurgency

2003 2009 Iraq War  United States

 Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein
 Australia
 Poland
 Denmark
 Iraqi Kurdistan

 Iraq under Saddam Hussein

Various insurgents

Fall of Ba'athist rule in Iraq

Occupation of southern Iraq
British withdrawal in 2009, conflict ongoing

2011 2011 Libyan intervention Many NATO members acting under UN mandate, including:

 United States
 France
 Italy
 Canada
and
Anti-Gaddafi forces
several Arab League states
Sweden

Pro-Gaddafi forces Gaddafi regime defeated

Muammar Gaddafi killed
National Transitional Council take control

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]

See also